On Friday, July 10, 2020, the English cats arrived one after the other at Pichlarn Castle to position themselves in a semicircle on the lawn in front of the castle and the 500-year-old mighty linden tree. Photos with distance, as expected during the Corona period, were taken. The participants were warmly greeted by Marion and Wolfgang with a glass of sparkling wine. The dinner together was taken in the Red Salon. The famous JDOST bags including route planning were distributed by our Marion.
After breakfast on Saturday we went to the cars and in typical English weather the JDOST summer tour started. Until the first rest in the "Alpenhof Annaberg" there was sometimes heavy rain. The liquid sunshine eased somewhat over the Gschütt, Gosau and Hallstatt pass. Shortly before Lake Ödensee there was a meeting between the down-to-earth cows and the elegantly bred cats. Despite the constant rain, the "Kohlröserlhütte" on the lake radiated a wonderful atmosphere. The delicious lunch and the coffee that was second to none made the group forget the Salzkammergut weather. The next small stopover was around 10 km. With the “Ausseer Lebkuchen” there was the possibility to stock up on sweets or to increase the caffeine level. The route to the "Gräf & Stift Museum" in Bad Aussee was even shorter. Here an operator of the museum reveled in the highest tones of its rare treasures worth seeing. The unexpected highlight turned out to be the trip on the old, honorable Großglockner bus (built in 1949). The driver elegantly guided his vehicle through the landscape and the narrow town of Bad Aussee. In the meantime, the streets had dried up and the JDOST participants returned to the Pichlarn castle and parked their cars on the parking deck of the castle. Dinner was again in the Red Salon.
Day 2 - Sunday, July 12, 2020: The last wafts of fog from the rainy day before are still caught in the trees on the slopes of the Enns Valley. The sun casts its first rays through the cloud cover that is dissolving. Breakfast with first instructions from Wolfgang, check out and then it's back to 'Ladies and gentlemen - start your engines'. 19 cars start in the meantime slightly cloudy weather for the first stage to the castle Trautenfels five kilometers away. Due to the corona, the participants are divided into four groups, which then visit the castle and the exhibitions. Before the departure at around 11 a.m., the participants form an obligatory group photo in front of the heavenly backdrop of the castle and jaguars.
Stage two leads us eastwards via Liezen and Rottenmann to St.Lorenzen im Paltental. From the north through the Ennstal Alps and via Admont into the Gesäuse to the 'Gasthof zum Donner'. Under shady linden trees, the people get stronger and some use the wonderful weather for a short walk to the nearby church. After a stop in the Gesaeuse National Park, we start at around 2 p.m. for the longest stage of this year's summer trip. The road book guides us over winding roads via Hieflau to Mooslandl. At a refreshment station for cats who like to drink (= petrol station) the bikes stand still for a short time. We are already in the Ybbstal Alps, which we cross through Wildalpen and Gußwerk to Mariazell. Constant steering wheel cranking on beautiful roads through picturesque landscapes delight the eye - but the taste for fresh, juicy bulbs that await us at the Wuchtlwirtin also increases. Hard on the border from Styria to Lower Austria, there is intensive balancing. From the ordinary balun to the impressive luxury baloon with vanilla and chocolate sauce plus egg liqueur and whipped cream - we deserve this.
The last section of the 2020 summer trip takes us through the Türnitz Alps via St. Aegyd, Kalte Kuchl and Hainfeld to the 'Landgasthof zum Schüller'. During the dinner together, Wolfgang speaks final words about the tour and thanks everyone for participating and is already looking forward to the next trip together. Fortunately, there was not a single mishap or even an accident - everyone arrived safely and happily at the travel destination.
A huge thank you to the organization team Marion Nussgraber and Wolfgang Schöbel for the perfect organization.
Text: Brigitte & Willi O. u. Andreas Icha
Photos: JDOST©
